Spanish · B1 · Milestone
B1 three-quarter milestone in Spanish
At this B1 milestone, you can now handle complex scenarios like a school radio interview. This guide brings together various advanced structures to help you explain methods, express alternatives, and describe past experiences fluidly.
What you'll learn
- Express how an action is achieved using gerunds.
- Use relative clauses to identify specific people or things.
- Discuss hypothetical preferences using the conditional mood.
- Combine sentences using correlative conjunctions like 'either... or'.
Spanish phrases for b1 three-quarter milestone
Cuando tenía seis años, entrevisté a nuestro director.
When I was six, I interviewed our head teacher.
Uses the imperfect for age and the preterite for a completed action.
El alumno a quien ayudé hará la próxima pregunta.
The pupil whom I helped will ask the next question.
A relative clause using 'a quien' to refer to a person as an object.
Hacemos la grabación más clara cerrando la puerta.
We make the recording clearer by closing the door.
The gerund 'cerrando' expresses the 'by doing' method.
Desde que empezamos, hemos aprendido varias palabras nuevas.
Since we started, we have learnt several new words.
'Desde que' triggers a temporal relationship between past and present.
Usaría papel grueso en vez de leer de una pantalla.
I would use thick paper instead of reading from a screen.
The conditional 'usaría' expresses a preference or hypothetical.
Podemos o grabar de nuevo o quedarnos con esta versión.
We can either record again or keep this version.
Uses 'o... o' to present two exclusive alternatives.
El micrófono está siendo colocado entre las dos sillas.
The microphone is being placed between the two chairs.
A passive construction showing an action in progress.
Practicamos hasta que todos supieron qué decir.
We practised until everyone knew what to say.
'Hasta que' indicates the time limit of the action.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
entrevistar
to interview
A regular -ar verb used in journalism and school settings.
la grabación
the recording
Derived from the verb 'grabar' (to record).
en vez de
instead of
Followed by an infinitive or a noun.
el director / la directora
head teacher / principal
Used for the person in charge of a school.
Expressing 'By Doing' (The Gerund)
In Spanish, the gerund (ending in -ando/-iendo) is used to explain the method or means by which something is done, equivalent to 'by' in English.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Method | Gerund (-ando/-iendo) | Aprendo escuchando la radio (I learn by listening to the radio). |
Relative Clauses with People
When referring to a specific person who is the object of a verb, use 'a quien' or 'al que'.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Indirect/Direct Object | a quien / al que | La chica a quien viste es mi hija. |
Correlative Conjunctions
To say 'either... or', Spanish uses 'o... o'. For 'instead of', use 'en vez de' followed by the infinitive.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Alternatives | o... o | O hablamos ahora o nunca. |
| Substitution | en vez de + inf. | En vez de correr, caminamos. |
More examples
Si tuviera más tiempo, editaría el audio.
If I had more time, I would edit the audio.
Hypothetical 'if' clause (B1 review).
El guion fue escrito por los alumnos.
The script was written by the pupils.
Passive voice using 'ser + past participle'.
Mientras grabábamos, alguien abrió la ventana.
While we were recording, someone opened the window.
Interruption of an ongoing action in the past.